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Eligibility
All UC Berkeley affiliates who are eligible to use UHS can use the UHS Pharmacy.
We are only able to fill another 30 days’ supply after your eligibility ends, but you must place the order before your eligibility runs out. Please see Health Insurance After You Graduate for more information about establishing medical and pharmacy insurance.
If you have prescriptions that are still valid for refills after your eligibility ends, we are more than happy to transfer those prescriptions to a pharmacy of your choice. Please refer to Prescription Transfers for more information.
Refills
Please allow up to 3 business days for UHS Pharmacy to respond to refill requests. UHS Pharmacy can NOT guarantee that all refills requested will be approved. To check if you have refills on your medication, look at the label on your prescription.
There are a couple of things to pay attention to:
- How many refills are remaining
- The last day that you can refill your prescription
If there are refills remaining and it’s before the last day that you can refill it, we will be more than happy to process it. However, for some medications, we may have to order them before you can get the refill, which can take up to 3 business days.
If there are no refills remaining OR if it’s past the last day that you can refill your prescription, we will send a message to your doctor to request a new prescription. Per California law, we are not able to process refills of your prescription if it’s past the date written on your prescription label, even if you still have refills.
Your doctor will then decide whether a new prescription is appropriate. Your doctor may ask you to contact them before they give you a new prescription. Your doctor may also refuse to give you a new prescription.
There are several ways to request refills:
Prescription Transfers
The UHS Pharmacy will gladly accept prescription transfers. In accordance with California law, the patient (you) must initiate the transfer by contacting the pharmacy where you’d like to transfer the prescriptions. Be advised that some prescriptions may not be transferable because of California state law or individual pharmacy policy.
If you would like to transfer your prescriptions TO the UHS Pharmacy, please contact us either by a message through the eTang portal or by phone at (510) 642-3249.
Please provide your name, your birth date, the name of the pharmacy, the pharmacy’s phone number, and the names of the medications you’d like to transfer. We will then call that pharmacy to request the transfer.
If you would like to transfer your prescriptions FROM UHS Pharmacy, please call the pharmacy of your choice and provide them with UHS Pharmacy’s phone number and the names of the medications you’d like to transfer. The pharmacy must call UHS Pharmacy to transfer the prescriptions.
Please allow up to 3 business days for prescription transfers.
Prescription: Specialty Medications
Some medications may not be available at UHS Pharmacy and may only be available at specialty pharmacies. You will be contacted either by UHS Pharmacy or the specialty pharmacy if this is the case.
Insurance
The UHS Pharmacy only accepts Berkeley SHIP. For Berkeley SHIP members, prescriptions filled at the UHS Pharmacy have a co-pay of $0 for generic and $25 for formulary, $40 for non-formulary medications, and $75 for specialty medications (for each 30-day supply).
Outside of University Health Services: Prescriptions filled outside of UHS at an In-Network Pharmacy have a $20 co-pay for generic and $40 co-pay for brand name medications (30-day supply), $60 for "non-formulary" items, and 20% up to $250 for specialty drugs when filled at an in-network pharmacy.
Copays
UHS Pharmacy is the PREFERRED pharmacy for Berkeley SHIP. This means that what you pay for prescriptions at UHS is less expensive than any other pharmacy in the country.
- At UHS pharmacy, referred generics have no copay.
- Preferred brands by Wellfleet are $25 per fill.
- Non-preferred medications are $40 per fill.
- Specialty medications are $75 per fill.
Check out the UHS pharmacy formulary for more information.
Prescription Limits
Depending on the type of medication, UHS Pharmacy is able to fill up to 90 days’ supply at one time. Some prescriptions may only be filled up to 30 days at a time. We may be able to fill more than 90 days based on your situation, such as if you’re EAP or Filing Fee withdrawal, and we will work with your insurance to do so.
Expired Medication
The UHS Pharmacy accepts expired medications through MED-Project. If you'd like to bring your prescription in, please call the Pharmacy in advance to make arrangements: (510) 642-3249. The drop-off kiosk is located to the right of the pharmacy windows and is open to the public. If the UHS location doesn't work for you, you can locate alternate disposal sites with your zip code through MED-Project. You can also check EMBUD's website. Learn more about what's accepted on our Expired Medication webpage.
Pharmacy Services
- Over-the-counter products: We offer a wide range of over-the-counter products at a lower cost compared to other pharmacies.
- Vending machines: We have a vending machine at the RSF with items commonly needed at the gym, including cold and warm compresses, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, energy bars, electrolyte powders, and menstrual supplies!
- Contraceptives: The UHS pharmacists are also able to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptives to many patients without having to see a provider. Go to the eTang portal, and leave a message to the pharmacy to get started. Some restrictions apply.
